Mick’s honour

Mick Malthouse is on the verge of becoming a football institution.  If Collingwood wins the premiership Malthouse will become the twelfth VFL/AFL coach to have won four or more grand finals.  His legacy will be synonymous with the game’s greatest coaches, men who are remembered for their achievement, longevity and ingenuity.

 

Malthouse, for all his glory, seems lucky.  Prior to 2010, he’d coached across 26 seasons for five grand finals and two premierships.  There is no doubt Malthouse was a good coach, but he’d been at Collingwood for a decade, and despite appearing in two grand finals from six finals campaigns, the Magpies had been exposed.

In 2003 Collingwood was thrashed by Brisbane in the grand final.  The following year Collingwood slumped to 13^th.  It was worse in 2005 when the Magpies finished second last to Carlton.  Malthouse took over Collingwood at the end of 1999, when the Magpies finished last.  After six years as coach, they were right back where they started.  No one would’ve questioned Eddie McGuire if Malthouse had been sacked.

Instead, Malthouse was allowed to rebuild slowly.  Collingwood played finals in 2006 and hasn’t missed since, finishing seventh, fourth, sixth, fourth and finally, after a decade in charge, the premiership.

Contrast Collingwood’s season in 2005 with Adelaide and Melbourne’s 2010 debacle.  Former Adelaide coach Neil Craig quit two weeks ago after his club was thrashed by 103 points.  At Melbourne, Dean Bailey was sacked following a 186 point humiliation to Geelong.  Those coaches couldn’t survive a hammering.

Malthouse is different.  Back in round seven 2005, Fremantle kicked 28 goals and destroyed Collingwood by 112 points.  After ten rounds the Magpies were second last with three wins.  In round 15 the margin against Brisbane was 78 points.  Two weeks later St Kilda won by 73 points.  In round 21, Adelaide hammered Collingwood by 110 points.

It’d been a shocking season, yet Malthouse kept his job.  There was light conjecture, whether he’d be sacked or not, but scoff marks littered the newspapers.  Malthouse was under pressure, no doubt, but never seriously at risk of being outed.

Amazing what happens when a club remains patient and believes in faith.  Malthouse endured two heartbreaking preliminary final defeats to Geelong, implemented the press based on St Kilda’s game plan and cemented his legacy when his Magpies won last year’s grand final.  His club is favoured to win another premiership.  If they do, it’ll be testament to Malthouse’s ability, determination and his luck.

Since taking over as coach of Footscray in 1985, Malthouse has aged in public, before the camera, in front of players and journalists, the schlock of black hair and a striking black moustache fading to grey at the West Coast Eagles before turning white at Collingwood.  He’s 57, the second oldest coach in the AFL, behind Kevin Sheedy.

It’s been a remarkable career.  In less than three months it’ll be over, courtesy of a deal fostered by Collingwood president Eddie McGuire, one that sees Malthouse out and Nathan Buckley taking over.

When the deal was announced two years ago it seemed fair.  Malthouse hadn’t won a premiership in fourteen years.  His pedigree was unquestioned, but he was ageing and with Buckley touted as the man most likely, McGuire didn’t want him to slip away to another club.

Given last year’s premiership and Collingwood’s current form, the deal seems absurd.  Age, obviously doesn’t impact on coaching ability, not when a club has the list and resources Malthouse presides over.  It’s no wonder he feels aggrieved about handing over a team at its peak.

The situation, however it is interpreted, is bound by honour.  Malthouse agreed, and while he might’ve signed it under duress of family illness he made a commitment, one McGuire is determined to enforce.  Buckley takes over with Malthouse as director of football.

If Collingwood wins the premiership, Malthouse will achieve another remarkable feat.  Just six coaches in the history of the AFL haven’t coached the year following a premiership.  Malthouse might become the seventh, and the first premiership coach to relinquish control since 1988.

The table below shows the men who won a grand final as coach and didn’t coach the following season.

Coach	Club	Year
Charlie Ricketts	South Melbourne	1909
Syd Barker	Essendon	1924
Charlie Clymo	Geelong	1931
Checker Hughes	Richmond	1932
	Melbourne	1941
	Melbourne	1948
Alex Jesaulenko	Carlton	1979
Alan Joyce	Hawthorn	1988

 

There is scant history relating to the first four men on the list.  The reasons they didn’t coach the following year would be in an archive somewhere, and as vast at the internet is, it can’t touch on club records or people’s memories.

South Melbourne made the finals in 1910 without Charlie Ricketts but was bundled out by Collingwood in the preliminary final.  In 1925, without Syd Barker, Essendon finished second and lost the semi final.  Geelong, after winning the flag in 1931, didn’t make the finals without Charlie Clymo.

Frank Checker Hughes is the most interesting man on the list.  He won five premierships as a coach, one at Richmond and four at Melbourne.  After three of those premierships he didn’t coach the following season.  The Second World War might’ve interrupted his career, but it seems amazing he wasn’t reappointed, whatever the reasons, following those triumphs.

In 1979 Carlton was in turmoil.  Success on the field masked bitter turmoil in the board room, men vying for the presidency.  Alex Jesaulenko quit as playing coach amid the fallout a few months after leading his team to a five point grand final victory and went to St Kilda as playing coach.  Carlton appointed Percy Jones as coach and though they finished second, two finals defeats saw Jones sacked after one season in charge.

Eight years later, when Alan Jeans fell ill and required brain surgery, Alan Joyce was appointed as Hawthorn’s interim coach, leading them to the 1988 premiership, a 96 point win over Melbourne.  At season’s end, Joyce handed back control to Jeans, who led the Hawks to back to back flags.

Joyce didn’t complain publicly when Jeans regained control.  There wasn’t much to say.  Jeans was a legend, a dual premiership coach at Hawthorn and the only man to lead St Kilda to the flag.  Besides, a deal was a deal, and all parties honoured their agreement.

When Jeans quit in after the 1990 season, Joyce was re-appointed as coach and led Hawthorn to the 1991 premiership.  His record at the time was remarkable, two seasons in charge for two premierships.

Without delving deep into history, and using Joyce as a guide, Malthouse must honour his agreement with Collingwood and step aside for Nathan Buckley.  Any suggestions of a player revolt, sponsor or supporter backlash need to be quashed.  Eddie McGuire made a deal, which requires Malthouse to be at Collingwood next year, in a heightened capacity.  He can’t go and coach Melbourne or Adelaide, however tempting it may be.

Deals, though, in football are often worthless.  Anything can be broken in football, including deals, contracts and promises.

Melbourne needs a coach, as do Adelaide.  As Aimee Mann sang, nothing fuels a good flirtation like need and anger and desperation. 

That Malthouse won’t be coaching next year doesn’t make sense, in pure football terms.  Forget his age, the deal and his honour.  If he wants it bad enough he’ll get another job as coach days after this season is over, however it ends for Collingwood.

The only thing Malthouse will lose is his honour, but if he’s a four time premiership coach, the hysteria will be brief.  There is no charity in football clubs.  Honour is for sale, just like loyalty and ability.

Malthouse has a lot to sell.  He can be the world’s own optimist, if he wants to.

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